Proof Brewing Company

Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

1320 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida, 32301
United States

(850) 577-0517 | map
proofbrewingco.com
BEER STATS
Average:
4
Beers:
107
Ratings:
474
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.54
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
55
pDev:
8.15%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Baj15:
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Rated by Baj15 from Florida

4.68/5  rDev +3.1%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75

Jul 27, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.96 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Nov 27, 2023
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Reviewed by cratez from Canada (ON)

4.21/5  rDev -7.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
Came here with my wife during a recent trip to Tallahassee.

Tried the following:
Proof La La Land (draft)
Proof Ghost Totem Porter (draft)
Proof Lager (flight sample)
Proof Featherweight IPA (flight sample)
Proof Pomegranate Passion Fruit Evil Kiss (flight sample)
Proof EightFive-0 Pale Ale (flight sample)

Beers ranged from below average to excellent. My wife liked her flight and sauvignon blanc. Had the boneless wings and pretzel bites to eat; they were delicious. Large, attractive taproom with a long bar, ample lounge-like seating, and some foosball tables. We sat on the outdoor patio, which was awesome. Lots of people playing corn hole on our visit. Service was competent as the bartender was quick to grab our drinks and food was served up in reasonable time. Our overall experience was very good, and we would likely come back.
Apr 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.29 by jbehlar from Mississippi

Oct 29, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by Zonian1 from Ohio

Nov 30, 2018
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Reviewed by BigGold from Mississippi

4.42/5  rDev -2.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
The taproom is small, but the patio
and (astroturfed) beer garden are just roomy enough.

The number (20) and variety of taps are excellent, and included a couple of guest taps (one was a cider).

The Mobi food truck was quite good, and well-integrated into the patio setup.

Apparently live music is a regular thing, and it deservedly drew a crowd the night we were there.
Sep 15, 2018
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Reviewed by Vandelay1863 from Florida

4.01/5  rDev -11.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.5
“OLD” PROOF: RAILROAD SQUARE
Proof changed locations at the beginning of 2019 to a larger, nicer facility. That said, I was a fan of their older location, which was more isolated and located in an industrial art park in Tallahassee. The old venue was more quaint and intimate; their smaller number of servers made the atmosphere more personal, as you could befriend the same bartenders throughout your visits there. In the college town of Tallahassee, the old location attracted a crowd of young-professionals, grad students, FSU faculty, and yuppies. Their minimal food selection came from a small food truck with a limited menu, but it was good, cheap bar fare. Going there, the emphasis was always on the beer itself. In my original review of the location I gave it the following rating:
Vibe: 5; Quality: 5; Service: 4.75; Selection; 3.75; and Food: N/A for a total of 4.59.

“NEW” PROOF: SOUTH MONROE
The new location is in a more heavily trafficked area of town on S. Monroe Street, so Proof is no longer a boon to a nice but struggling collection of artsy business in Railroad Square Art Park. Those businesses have felt a hard hit since Proof’s abandonment of the area. While the new location is massive to facilitate Proof’s increased canning output, the parking is cartoonishly thought out. At the old location, one could park anywhere in Railroad Square, which was expansive. At the new Proof, two narrow lots flank both sides of the building, and they fill up completely even when Proof is a quarter full inside. When the inevitable spill-over of parking occurs, patrons are told to park near Cascades Park, which entails walking through a round-about footbridge over busy S. Monroe in a tired area of town. I say “tired” because Proof is attempting to be a pioneer in gentrifying a haggard area of Tallahassee. So, without adequate parking, it’s not fun venturing on foot through this area at night. Just not thought out well.

Inside, the cavernous interior amplifies noise, while their new outdoor area is so large it loses the intimacy of the old outdoor area. It feels like grabbing a beer on a football field instead of in a charming, hipsterish backyard. That said, the larger “stage” area has allowed Proof to give greater spotlight to its patronage of live music, an appreciated upgrade.

Next, Proof hired a plethora of new people, thereby losing that more intimate feel. This is a natural symptom of growth, but most of the change has come with hiring a new army of bar-backs while recycling maybe half of their bartenders. That is, they generally kept the same, smaller number of bartenders, yet they added many new bar-backs. The result is that on a slammed night, there’s tons of people behind the bar, but only 2-3 bartenders to take orders or close out people while an army of bar-backs idly hang out.

The grad student/faculty/yuppie crowd of the old Proof has now been dwarfed by an influx of undergraduates, with the result that Proof now has the vibe of Madison Social. That is, the focus seems no longer on the beer but on the undergraduate vibe. What’s good is that has breathed new life into Proof: there’s fewer “slow” days. The increase in traffic will allow Proof to increase its presence in the state as a result. Yet, when it’s packed, Proof becomes just another place that would fit in in College Town: stripped of atmosphere, uniqueness, and charm. That said, it’s a wonderfully made building, and the facility is a structural improvement. I never got the feeling the old Proof was constrained by its size, but it has certainly grown into its new, large space pretty effortlessly.

Lastly, the new Proof has a full kitchen, which serves food contracted from another business. The food is a major improvement from the old food truck, and it’s nice to see some of the old food-truck people find a home at new Proof. In the end, while the vibe and service have taken major hits, the quality of the beer and the breadth of selection have remained consistent while the food selection has drastically improved in scope.
Jan 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by JamesLeung from Florida

Jan 10, 2018
 
Rated: 5 by Satorn from Florida

Jul 13, 2017
 
Rated: 4.72 by KensWorld from Florida

May 25, 2017
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Reviewed by Thetruthfulcraft from Florida

4.73/5  rDev +4.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
The Tennessee st. Location is now closed but the brewery is open at railroad square. The best brewery in north Florida. They do everything right. Always solid beers and never a disgusting infected beer on tap. They truly care about craft and our dedicated to perfecting each and every beer. I wish every brewery had this same passion and craft.
Jul 25, 2016
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Rated by allisonmichelle from Florida

5/5  rDev +10.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Today was awesome! Happy anniversary!!!
May 22, 2016
 
Rated: 4.75 by Bryan12345 from Texas

Mar 19, 2016
 
Rated: 4.55 by DreadPirateRoberts from Indiana

Mar 12, 2016
 
Rated: 3.2 by dasotelo50 from Texas

Dec 27, 2015
 
Rated: 5 by ClaytonCMathis from South Carolina

Oct 15, 2015
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Reviewed by travisatlarge from Florida

4.28/5  rDev -5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5
This place can be awesome but it can also get extremely crowded. The owner is a great person and when the crowd is right you can have a lot of fun. Also, they were pretty much the first brewery in town and deserve kudos for that.
Sep 24, 2015
 
Rated: 4.76 by NickySop from New York

Aug 29, 2015
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Reviewed by ultrasticky1 from Florida

5/5  rDev +10.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
All locations are outstanding. I have frequented this establishment since I came to Tallahassee for school in its early years, and I am still constantly impressed with every new change they have made.

At the Tennessee St brewpub/retail location, there is an upscale lounge/chill nightclub vibe to the place and they have glassware giveaways weekly, among other featured events. Upstairs is the retail store right next to the brewpub. The store has a plethora of beers for sale organized by region (for domestics), coupled with imports organized by style/country/ect. There is a vast selection of high quality spirits, wines, and even single beers and a bomber cooler as well.
The brewpub has full liquor/wine bars- upstairs and down, both with a very large selection of taps and outdoor patio areas with seating.

The brewery location at Rail Road Square (RRSQ) is a great location with outdoor seating, boccee ball courts, cornhole, ping pong, and also indoor seating where you can see the brewery through glass windows behind the bar.

I love both of these places, and I dont know if it's the Guru talking (their IPA) or what, but I just typed 1,151 characters talking about my favorite bar in town. Highly recommended if you're in Tallahassee
Aug 23, 2015
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Reviewed by KVNBGRY from Florida

3.75/5  rDev -17.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.25 | selection: 4
Definitely for the college kids. The bartenders seem to be kids like like to drink beer, not people that know beer. For being such a small operation, it definitely felt like they thought they were bigger and more well known than they actually are. The beers taste good! They had a decent selection of beers and a handful of guest taps. The outdoor seating area is kind of neat. It's artificial turf that is hot as hell, and a lot of parents and toddlers were running around aimlessly, but it looks good. The guy checking IDs at the front made it seem not like a brewery, but a bar on any strip in any college town. A lot of backwards hats, forearm sweatbands, and pens in ears. I would rather go to a random bar and try their beer on tap, because the vibe of the place is not my cup of tea.
Jun 23, 2015
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Reviewed by Bigdoc91 from Texas

4.09/5  rDev -9.9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75
Nice place. Only reason I rated it lower is because Im not impressed with Proofs beer which hurts their selection. Other than that, solid brewpub/brewery.
Apr 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.44 by amrz6014 from Florida

Jan 21, 2015
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Rated by KrajDoesBeer from Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -4.6%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
loved this place.. great atmosphere like a bar but also great brews
Jan 05, 2015
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Rated by ksolekjr from Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +4.6%
Great place
Dec 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Abbbp from Texas

Dec 04, 2014
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Rated by dbrownnn1 from Florida

5/5  rDev +10.1%
Love this brewery!! Always coming up with amazing different types of brews my favorite is the guru ipa.
Oct 25, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by TaraF from Florida

Oct 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by Chris-Jones from North Carolina

Oct 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.96 by cambabeer from New York

Aug 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by crazedmex from Florida

Aug 02, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by DiFo from Florida

Jul 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by fastestmanalive from Florida

Jul 01, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by KnucklestheEchidna from Florida

Jun 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by BeardedBrewReview from Florida

Jun 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by HideYaBeer from Florida

May 02, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Bartos from Florida

Apr 04, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by jonathaniler from Florida

Mar 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.15 by Pearlstreetbrewingco from Florida

Jan 09, 2014
Proof Brewing Company in Tallahassee, FL
Brewery rating: 4 out of 5 with 474 ratings